Shadowing Practice: SE-Ed: Why Do Cats Purr? - Learn English Speaking with Video
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42 sentences
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1
Imagine a warm cat sleeping on your lap.
2
You stroke its soft fur, and it starts to rumble.
3
It sounds like a tiny engine!
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We call this sound purring.
5
But how do cats make it, and why do they do it?
6
For a long time, nobody really knew the answer.
7
Today, most scientists think it starts in the voice box.
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That's the part of the throat that makes sounds.
9
Tiny muscles there open and close it very quickly,
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about twenty to thirty times every second.
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This happens when the cat breathes in and when it breathes out.
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That's why the purr never seems to stop!
13
Kittens start purring when they're only a few days old.
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They're born blind and deaf,
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so they can't see or hear their mother.
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But they can feel her purr through their bodies.
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And when they drink her milk, they purr back.
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It's their way of saying that everything is fine.
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So does purring always mean that a cat is happy?
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Not always!
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Cats also purr when they're hurt, scared or sick.
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Some purr at the vet, and some even purr while giving birth.
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Scientists believe purring helps them calm down.
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It may also help them feel less pain.
25
Have you ever been woken up by a hungry cat?
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In 2009, a team at the University of Sussex studied this.
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They found that hungry cats use a special purr.
28
It has a high cry hidden inside it.
29
This cry sounds a bit like a human baby,
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and people find it very hard to ignore!
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Clever cats have learned this, and they use it at breakfast!
32
What about big cats?
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Cheetahs and pumas purr just like house cats,
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but lions and tigers don't really purr.
35
Instead, they roar,
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and you can hear a lion from eight kilometres away!
37
In 2023, scientists found tiny soft pads inside cats' voice boxes!
38
These pads may help cats make such a deep sound,
39
even though their voice boxes are so small.
40
One thing is clear, though.
41
If a cat purrs on your lap, it trusts you.
42
Just don't expect to stand up any time soon!
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “SE-Ed: Why Do Cats Purr?”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: cat, purr, sound, purring, scientists. This video has 42 sentences and 352 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:11. The speaker talks at a natural 161 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. Only 81% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| purr verb | /pɝ/ | To make a vibrating sound in its throat when contented or in certain other conditions. |
| scientist noun | /ˈsaɪəntəst/ | One whose activities make use of the scientific method to answer questions regarding the measurable universe. A scientist may be involved in original research… |
| pad noun | /pæd/ | A flattened mass of anything soft, to sit or lie on. |
| lion noun | /ˈlaɪən/ | A big cat, Panthera leo, native to Africa, India and formerly much of Europe. |
| breathe verb | /bɹiːð/ | To draw air into (inhale), and expel air from (exhale), the lungs in order to extract oxygen and excrete waste gases. |
| cheetah noun | /ˈt͡ʃiːtə/ | A distinctive member (Acinonyx jubatus) of the cat family, slightly smaller than the leopard, but with proportionately longer limbs and a smaller head; native… |
| kilometre noun | /kɪˈlɑmɪtəɹ/ | An SI unit of length equal to 10³ metres. Symbol: km |
| rumble noun | /ˈɹʌmb(ə)l/ | A low, heavy, continuous sound, such as that of thunder or a hungry stomach. |
| kitten noun | /ˈkɪtən̩/ | A young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, beaver, badger, etc. |
| roar verb | /ˈɹoɹ/ | To make a loud, deep cry, especially from pain, anger, or other strong emotion. |
| deaf adjective | /diːf/ | Unable (or partially able) to hear. |
| scare verb | /skɛɚ/ | To frighten, terrify, startle, especially in a minor way. |
| clever adjective | /ˈklɛv.ɚ/ | Nimble with hands or body; dexterous; skillful; adept. |
| tiger noun | /ˈtaɪɡə/ | Panthera tigris, a large predatory mammal of the cat family, indigenous to Asia. |
| throat noun | /ˈθɹoʊt/ | The front part of the neck. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| calm down verb | To become less excited, intense, or angry. | |
| stand up verb | To rise from a lying or sitting position. | |
| wake up verb | /ˌweɪk ˈʌp/ | To stop sleeping; to awake. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | Have you ever been woken · have learned |
| Possibility with “might / may” might/may + verb — something that is possible but not certain | may also help · may help |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 6 contractions and reduced forms, such as they're, don't, can't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: breathe /bɹiːð/, throat /ˈθɹoʊt/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like purr, scientist, pad.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.